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goodgrl
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2002
Total Posts : 5

Posted 2/27/2002 10:10 AM (GMT -6)

Hello, this is the first time I've posted on this BB and I am not real familiar with it, so please bear with me. I picked this forum because it has no connection with my own church. In fact, I don't know the first thing about this forum or the church with which it is affiliated. Anyway, my question:

Are seeker churches effective? biblical? or God insensitive? Has anyone out there been involved in a seeker sensitive church?

Thanks.

Winghead
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2002
Total Posts : 132

Posted 2/27/2002 3:52 PM (GMT -6)

Hi Goodgrl,

I too, am relatively new to this BB.

The church I attended previous to my current church adopted the seeker sensitive model. It grew 15-20% per year, and drew many of the "unchurhed" back to church. It did not go to extremes, in my opinion. However, there were a some weaknesses it had.

1. It tended to view the church and the paid professionals as the "ministers". This was partially reinforced by the "seeker sensitive" model.

2. The church struggled getting mature leaders. I think this was partially due to the previously mentioned weakness.

3. The church was a suburban church and attracted suburban seekers. While open to all, it seemed like people who did not fit the "target audience" -- yes, they had one -- did not fit in well.

In comparison the church I attend now is not based on the "seeker sensitive" model. It too grows -- to capacity. They have services with passionate worship, strong biblical preaching and teaching. They believe everyone is a minister, and while they too could always use more leaders, they do not have trouble finding people with an appropriate amount of maturity.

This church is intentionally a diverse mixture of urban and suburban people, though we hope it will become even more diverse. We have all types of people who come to our services, and who call our church home. Interestingly, even though we "break" most of the "rules" of seeker sensitive churches, we have people receive the Lord at virtually every service -- over 600, last year.

Are seeker churches affective? Yes, many are.

Are they biblical? I am not sure. Christ told us to disciple the nations. Some seeker churches hardly model the kind of Christianity found in the early church, and taught by Jesus.

Are they God insensitive? They don't have to be.

That said, I attend the church I do now, because I think it is a more biblical model. When I left my previous church, I left because I wanted to find a church whose "philosophy of doing church" (sounds wierd, considering the church as the Body of Christ ) was more in line with mine. Each church has to follow its own "conscience" on the matter, I think.

One more note. While the church I attend now attend breaks many of the seeker sensitive rules, it is not people insensitive. There's a difference.

Yours in Christ,
Winghead

"...you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31 (NLT)

beachgirl
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2002
Total Posts : 26

Posted 3/5/2002 2:47 AM (GMT -6)

Hi there. I have attended a seeker sensitive church in Charlotte, NC and there is definitely something awesome going on there. While I realize that the way they do church may be offensive to the traditionals, God is using this church in a mighty way and many who would not step foot in a normal church are meeting the Lord in a real and exciting way. One of the major tenets they hold to is community in Christ. I think that's very biblical -- Acts 2:42. I encourage anyone to visit www.warehouse242.org and check it out. If ever in Charlotte, NC, please check the service out as well.

"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done..." C.S. Lewis

n/a
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 218

Posted 3/5/2002 4:34 PM (GMT -6)

What the heck is a BB?¿

"Sometimes, school takes the fun out of learning."

Orpheus42
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2002
Total Posts : 21

Posted 3/6/2002 9:57 AM (GMT -6)

The biggest concern I have with "seeker churches" is that some that I have seen tend to not fulfill the role of teaching the membership- they put a lot of effort into attracting new people to the faith, which is absolutely wonderful, but they seem to be lacking in spiritual nurturing. They don't provide enough spiritual milk- let alone getting to spiritual meat. I think there is a danger that such churches can get too caught up in reaching outward and forget about the importance of reaching inward. That being said, I've also seen seeker-sensitive churches that are doing some wonderful things and God is really moving in and with them.

Peace, Love, and Jesus Christ,

Jason

God loves us exactly the way we are, but He loves us far too much to leave us that way. --- Leighton Ford

gregw
Registered Member

Date Joined Jun 2001
Total Posts : 47

Posted 3/6/2002 11:20 AM (GMT -6)

Short answer that is really not an answer. In the vein of your question, I have wondered whether it is the first mission of the church to be "evangelistic" and to do evangelism or if it is the first mission of the church to train up the saints to be "evangelistic" and to do evangelism.

Now having said that, my family is attending a "seeker-sensitive" churchwww.christcommunity.com and very much enjoy it. I sometimes wonder if all churches would do well to pick on the cues of "seeker-sensitive" churches and become more "seeker-friendly."

Not really an answer, but these are issues I have thought about for several years.

quote:

Hello, this is the first time I've posted on this BB and I am not real familiar with it, so please bear with me. I picked this forum because it has no connection with my own church. In fact, I don't know the first thing about this forum or the church with which it is affiliated. Anyway, my question:

Are seeker churches effective? biblical? or God insensitive? Has anyone out there been involved in a seeker sensitive church?

Thanks.

Greg
http://www.bethel.edu/seminary/catalog/StPaul/bsmact.htm

Edited by - gregw on 03/06/2002 4:21:29 PM

goodgrl
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2002
Total Posts : 5

Posted 3/8/2002 4:46 PM (GMT -6)

Thanks for the responses to the questions. The reason I asked is to get a little persective from others. My husband and I have been at a seeker church for a while now and sometimes I just think that I can't stand it for one more day. It's been very difficult as a believer to be at a church that has little worship, very little Bible, etc. My heart just breaks when I think of all the people in the service, broken and lost, and yet no one really speaks clearly to give the answer.

The reason we are still at this church is because we know that God has called us here to serve. I also know that God has done much refining in me since I've been here. It's been quite a journey.

From my perspective I think that some seeker churches are doing an injustice to those who come. I'm so glad that when I was an unchurched person no one decided what I could and could not handle as far as the gospel was concerned. Some things need to be left up to the Holy Spirit. I think He is able to handle it.

Thanks for the input.

beachgirl
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2002
Total Posts : 26

Posted 3/14/2002 5:54 AM (GMT -6)

goodgirl:

i really respect and admire you and your husband's commitment to this "seeker" church. thanks for heeding God's call on your lives. these churches need folks like you to be devoted to the pre-Christian and new Christians in the church!
mighty works are being done in these fellowships. they aren't perfect and many need tweeking, but God is using them to advance his kingdom!

"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done..." C.S. Lewis

JCsites.com
Registered Member

Date Joined Jun 2001
Total Posts : 169

Posted 3/18/2002 3:41 AM (GMT -6)

I've done quite a bit of study on seeker church philosophy, and helped build seeker churches.

I really think that there's some value in the ideas. One common problem I've noticed from an "insider's view" is that many churches don't fully study the willow creek model. They just attend a few services and decide that seeker churches get more "entertainny" and apply business world marketing tactics.

Then they go and try to do that themselves. What often happens is that the approach "does not work." (when these people say it does not work, I've often noticed what they really mean, is that their approach did not put more butts in the pew on a regular basis. Not exactly a biblical view of church, but certainly an american churchianity idea. when will we grow up?)

When their own brand of seeker approach "does work" (more butts in the pew) then the next critisism is that new converts and crusty christians aren't getting nurtured and taught well from the word. In my opionion, for these churches it's true. Why?

Because they oversimplified what the seeker philosophy is - they took a quick look and decided that it's about getting more entertainny and relevant to a target audience.

Had they taken the time to fully investigate, they would have learned that they would need to continue to teach and equip their flock. Willow Creek used to tell their members, that you should go to church twice a week. On Sunday's bring your non-christian neighbor, on Wednesday's bring your bible and your family for teaching and equiping.

Wed. service is where expositional bible teaching is done.

It is so sad when I see churches quickly adopt the seeker philosophy. They dump expositional sermons for topical "relevant" sermons, they entertian the masses with relevant music, and at best win many converts who are like seed thrown up on the rocky soil. They seedling springs up quickly but then also dies away quickly.

My church, Woodland Hills Church, does not follow the seeker philosophy. However, they have learned some good lessons from it. Like being careful about creating a culture with it's own "secret" jargon and "Club."

Dr. Boyd speaks both expositionally and topically but with genuiness and honesty and all who are upfront don't assume everyone knows the jargon or the program.

Boy, if we learn anything from the Willow Creek model, I think the American Church needs to learn to stop being such a "country club" and start thinking about how they communicate to "outsiders."

You don't have to get more "entertainny" to communicate better.

Anyway, the bottom line is that your Church could possibly be lacking a thoughtful understanding of the seeker philosophy and accidently missed the boat on evangelism to training and equiping.

I'm not at your Church, so I really don't know, but I sure see that happen elsewhere.

JCsites guy

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